On the 12th, the Kuwaiti government accused several armed members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of attempting to 'infiltrate' Kuwait's Bubiyan Island from the sea to carry out hostile actions earlier this month.
Bubiyan Island is located in the northwest of the Persian Gulf, facing Iran's southwestern Khuzestan Province across the sea.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior issued a statement saying that on May 1st, Iranian armed personnel took a fishing boat to Bubiyan Island, where they engaged in a firefight with Kuwaiti troops stationed on the island, resulting in the injury of one Kuwaiti serviceman. Two Iranians escaped during the firefight, while four were arrested. They later confessed to being assigned by the IRGC to attempt hostile acts against Kuwait.
On the 3rd, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense reported that Kuwaiti armed forces foiled a maritime infiltration within Kuwaiti territorial waters, apprehending four individuals who attempted to illegally enter the country, and handed them over to the relevant authorities for investigation.
It is understood that, among the four arrested men, two hold the rank of Naval Colonel.
On the 12th, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing strong and severe condemnation of the IRGC armed personnel's infiltration of Bubiyan Island and attempted hostile actions. It demanded that Iran immediately and unconditionally stop illegal and hostile actions threatening regional security and stability, saying that Iran's actions undermine regional and international efforts to de-escalate tensions.
On the same day, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, issued a statement saying that IRGC personnel had illegally infiltrated Kuwait’s Bubiyan Island and engaged in conflict with Kuwaiti forces. He stated that such actions seriously violate international law and the United Nations Charter.
Gheit emphasized that the Arab League firmly opposes any actions threatening Kuwait.
Kuwaiti Claims Are Groundless
In response to the Kuwaiti claims, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement strongly condemning the Kuwaiti government's improper use of political and publicity measures in handling the incident in which four Iranian officers allegedly entered Kuwaiti territorial waters due to a navigation system failure.
The statement said that at the time of the incident, the four Iranian officers were on a routine maritime patrol mission.
The statement emphasized that Iran has always respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region, including Kuwait, and hopes that the Kuwaiti government will handle the matter through official channels and avoid making hasty comments or unfounded accusations.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that, in accordance with international law, the Iranian Embassy in Kuwait must be allowed to visit the detained Iranian personnel immediately and they must be released immediately.